Tuesday 21 October 2008

Hollywood making endless remakes of the original Japanese horror films.

Roy Lee brought the rights to Japanese horror, and sold them to the American studios.
Japanese horror does not have a linear narrative, but the film relies on the curse of whoever enters the house will die, an urban legend! however in my focus film the Grudge, the cinematography is beautifully shot, with not much speech involved, because it makes the normal cheesy horror films look so unrealistic, whereas this makes the film seem sureal.

The reason why western audiences may enjoy j-horror is for the theory escapsim from there own horrors in life and being able to watch a film with a unfamiliar society- the fear of the unknown which brings a pesky tension.

Some audience’s believe Hollywood has ruined the authentic Japanese horror.
What do you think ???

My presentation... J-horror and why it have interested me to do a small scale research on it!!!!

“As the most technologically advanced and saturated society in the world.”
J –horror retains the Japanese aesthetics, by using the genre of Kaidan (or ghost story), with a technological twist of using Kaidan with high performance equipment, to create the effect of an modern story. The Japanese directors, refer to Shinto ("the way of the gods") , in which is a major religion, included in most horror based films, in Japan. This religion is a spiritual belief (demons, spirits, and ghosts). Shinto teaches that any dead person can be prayed to.
Yuurie, is the heart of Japanese horror, they are stranded ghosts or sprits that are stuck on this world, because of unfinished buisness. For an example they come back to haunt their murderers,and the people who led them to sucide. The japanese portrayed Yuuerie's as people dress in white clothing, with long black hair, moreover they were mostly related to as females, because they tend to hold grudges for much longer then men, and more powerful.They tend to haunt specific people and places thart related to their past lives.
Horror films are about not being in control, and by not being in control people ask alot of questions, in which Japanese horror films aquire, portraying horror films to be ambiguous, and allows the audience to let their imagination run free, in contrast The western remakes sum up most of the story leaving not very much up to their imagination, its not as authentic or effective or powerfull.

This has interested me, because it explores historical and cultural aspects that’s unique to Japan. Japan not only wants to entertain, but to influence other countries; such as America
From exploring this small scale research I hope to learn where the Hollywood blockbusters originally got their ideas from, and whom they duplicate, and why the western audience enjoy J-horror.

Sunday 19 October 2008

A close study of why J-horror appeals to western audiences.




The films i am going to refer to through this statement are;
synopsis of my films
The grudge/Ju-on=
The film is based on a young naive Japanese woman called Yoko, who works for the elderly, she goes to visit her new client, which is an old women with a laziness disorder. Yoko begins to help out with the housework, and suddenly hears a door shut from upstairs, however she is alone with the old woman. A clicking and groaning noise is heared from above her, in which is the attic, leading for her to investigate; nothing is seen. When she turns around to go down something pounces on her, we as the audience see legs kicking hear screaming and her legs getting dragged up. The next day Yoko hasn't turned up for work, another girl is sent in as a replacement.Karen is not attacked, but lets loose Toshio the little boy, from the exact cupboard. What follows is a whirlwind of deaths of who ever enters the house.
The police then gets involved in the disappearance of Yoko, the chief of police tells Karen how he was on a murder case three years ago, in respect of Toshio, and a spirit women, which leaves him to believe there was a curse born on that house as long as it stands, and drew a grudge on who ever entered.

The Ring/Ringu=
This film is based on a nightmarish video tape, with shocking images, which reflect a urban legend. After watching the video a phone call is evoked predicting that they have seven days to live. Rachel Keller is very disbelieving to the whole video tape and it's affects , until four deaths have mysteriously occurred, just exactly one week after they have watched it. Rachel slowly lets her curiosity get the better of her and hunts down the video tape to watch it, she pleads to Noah her friend to help her unravel what really is behind this video tape, just before her and her and her sons time is up.

The eye=
The film begins with sydney wells being given the gift of sight, however this comes with great consequences, the audience is lead to believe its the sprit of the death of the girl, who's eyes have been given away. What is worse is that this visions that Sydney see's foreshadows what is going to happen in the future, including deaths. This leads for Sydney to find out the inhertage of who's eyes they were (the witches eyes) to find out what is lies at her feet.
This is the japanese trailer of The Grudge -Ju-on
and this is the hollywood version!
Ringu
The ring